Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation Tips

Musings on making the two hardest working rooms in the house work for you.

Given most of us stuck in the UK for the last month have had a lot of time indoors thanks to all that rain, I felt like it was time for some more interior musings. Whether you’re in demolition mode or just in the mood for tweaking, hopefully, this little kitchen and bathroom ‘special’ can give some tips. Keeping the below definitely helped me.

1: kesar knit - 2: body wash - 3: sunglasses

Maybe it’s because they need to be the most functional but kitchens and bathrooms definitely seem to get the most amount of time, attention and frustration when it comes to decorating. There’s a flurry of practical decisions needed which can feel overwhelming and make the whole thing feel more like a maths equation than creative expression. The below tips really helped me when we were renovating our house from top to bottom so hopefully they can give some guidance to your sticking points too!

Think about flow
The age-old cooker/fridge/sink triangle is hammered home by kitchen designers but really you need to think about how you flow around your own space. Everyone is different which is why every kitchen should be different. And yes, bathrooms have flow too. Is there somewhere to hang your towel to grab when you get out of the shower? Are you storing your tea in the larder or in a drawer/cupboard next to your kettle where you want it? Do you actually like chatting while you cook or would you rather be left alone until the big reveal? Think about how you’re moving around the spaces you’re creating while you’re designing them.

Don’t overlook bathroom storage
Pedestal sinks are chic and classic and I love them. But I could never have had one unless I could have created an in-built cabinet right next to it for my insane amount of products. Unless you are the kind of person who has a toothbrush, toothpaste and a single pot of face cream (seriously, teach me your ways), you need to think about storage in bathrooms, unless you are a fan of those free-standing pedestal-style storage units for bathrooms (I am not). If you have space, a lovely vintage cabinet or chest of drawers can look amazing in bathrooms but thinking earlier and building in is super smart. Whether that’s a custom vanity unit (Ham Interiors does great ones) or flush cabinetry built into the walls/panelling, think about how much you realistically need to store and work backwards. A curtained skirt sink is a great, affordable way of creating concealed storage. Towels and loo roll need a home too, even if that’s just a nice basket on the floor, it’s worth thinking about.

Make the kitchen you need
Be realistic about how regularly you entertain 8 people and how much of a cook you are i.e. do you really need that top-end 8 burner oven? Or do you in fact need a monster freezer for prepping in advance? Maybe two dishwashers are the answer to all your personal prayers if you have a big family or entertain a lot, or maybe a whole cupboard dedicated to baking/pickling/cocktails is what’s going to make you most excited. Either way, be honest about your daily life and start from there. A new kitchen is so exciting but it’s not a personality transplant (as much as we might like it to be at times!).

To niche or not to niche
Apparently, some people don’t like shower niches. Personally, I am a big fan because where else am I going to put the inevitable shower gels and shampoos? The floor? Not on my watch. Saying that I prefer to keep mine subtle and blending in rather than a feature in contrasting tiles or marble.  I would always place where you want to grab stuff rather than right under the shower head too.